Method and apparatus for high volume fractional distillation of liquids

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for high volume distillation of impure liquid, particularly of binary mixtures of relatively low boiling organic substances and water, comprises fractionally distilling the impure liquid to form a vapor of a low boiling organic substance; compressing the vapor; passing at least a portion of the compressed vapor through a vapor composition adjustment zone wherein the organic substance may catalytically or otherwise react or merely stabilize following compression; compressing the vapor exiting the adjustment zone to form a recompressed vapor; cooling the recompressed vapor in heat transfer relation with the impure liquid whereby the vapor at least partially condenses, transferring sufficient heat to the impure liquid for evaporating the liquid and to form the aforementioned low boiling organic vapor; and collecting the condensed low boiling organic vapor. In various embodiments of the invention the vapor exiting the adjustment zone may be expanded through an expansion engine and/or a portion of the compressed vapor may bypass the adjustment zone and/or the expansion engine and admix with the remainder of the vapor passing through the adjustment zone and/or expansion engine. Work may be added to the expansion engine by mechanical means, such as motor means, drivingly linked to the engine, by admixing hot gases directly with the compressed vapor passing through the expansion engine, by a combination of direct mechanical drive and direct mixing of hot gases, or by other suitable means. 
     The method and apparatus are particularly suitable for producing substantially anhydrous ethyl alcohol.

This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser.No. 115,615, filed Jan. 28, 1980, now abandoned, which application was acontinuation-in-part of Ser. No. 769,291, filed Feb. 22, 1977, now U.S.Pat. No. 4,186,060, and of application Ser. No. 787,832, filed Apr. 18,1977, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,058.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for economicallyand efficiently separating and recovering high quality organic andinorganic components contained in aqueous and non-aqueous solutions andmixtures and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus which permitsevaporation and vapor compression treatment of large volumes of impurewater, as defined herein.

The need for treating very large volumes of high quality water hasarisen in recent years in many contexts. Many industries require largequantities of good quality water as input or raw material in order tooperate. For example, the paper or textile industries utilize tremendousvolumes of such water for their dyeing and bleaching operations. Manymore industries discharge large quantities of waste or contaminatedaqueous solutions to the environment. However, with the continuingdecline in quality of the water in our lakes, rivers and streams and thecontinuing promulgation by federal, state and local governments ofstatutes and ordinances regulating the quality of water dumped intowaterways, there has been an increasing need for economical methods bywhich industrial waste streams can be cleaned prior to discharge.Another area which requires the treating of large volumes of water in anefficient and economical fashion is the production of potable water fromthe oceans by desalination. A related area for treating large volumes ofwater is the treatment of sea water into which oil has been spilled torecover the oil and to desalinate or purify the water. Thus, the problemof waste water treatment in high volumes includes the treatment ofimpure water as well as sea or brackish water. It also includes thetreatment of water containing inorganic or organic materials. Many ofthe problems associated with purifying and recovering large volumes ofwater have been dealt with by applicants in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,035,243,4,186,058 and 4,186,060. These patents disclose vapor compressionmethods and systems which, although applicable to the separation andrecovery of the inorganic or organic materials in the water, focus onthe recovery of pure water. Other patents which teach or disclose waterdistillation and/or vapor compression systems are the following: U.S.Pat. Nos. 1,230,417; 1,594,957; 2,280,093; 2,515,013; 2,537,259;2,589,406; 2,637,684; 3,412,558; 3,423,293; 3,425,914; 3,351,537;3,440,147; 3,444,049; 3,476,654; 3,477,918; 3,505,171; 3,597,328;3,477,918; 3,505,171; 3,597,328; 3,607,553; 3,649,469; 3,856,631;3,879,266.

In many instances where it is desired to separate water from aninorganic or organic material therein, recovery of the water is only ofsecondary interest. Of primary concern is separation and recovery of theinorganic or organic material, frequently in substantially anhydrousform. A typical illustration is the separation of water and ethylalcohol from binary mixtures thereof in order to recover the ethylalcohol in a form suitable for admixture with gasoline to form thecurrently popular gasoline substitute known as gasohol.The ethanolrecovered must be anhydrous in order to prevent component separation inthe fuel tank prior to use.

Ethyl alcohol and water form an azeotrope at atmospheric pressure whichcontains 95.6% by weight EtOH and boils at 78.15° C. If the ethylalcohol is to be used as a primary fuel then the 95.6% azeotrope can beused. However if the EtOH is to be mixed with gasoline to form gasohol,then the EtOH must be anhydrous. There have been endless suggestions fortreating EtOH-H₂ O mixtures to remove the water and to recoversubstantially anhydrous EtOH. For example, benzene or other well knownhydrocarbons suitable for the purpose may be added to the mixture toform a tenary azeotrope which carries over the water as a distillateleaving the anhydrous EtOH behind as the bottom. Alternatively,counter-current extraction with a third component such as glycerine orethylene glycol may be used. The third component depresses the vaporpressure of the water and allows anhydrous EtOH to be distilled from thetop of the extraction column. The problem with these methods, however,is that benzene, glycerine and ethylene glycol, and their equivalentsuseful in the separation of anhydrous EtOH, are commercially derivedfrom petrochemicals and, as petroleum becomes increasingly scarce, theproduction of EtOH by these methods becomes increasingly costly. On theother hand, methods which employ relatively abundant and inexpensive rawmaterials are unable to concentrate the EtOH beyond 95.6% and resortmust eventually be had to the aforementioned petrochemical methods toprepare anhydrous EtOH. Thus typical fermentation or enzymaticconversion processes applied to sugar or hexose containing carbohydrateproduces a "beer" containing 6-12% by weight EtOH, carbon dioxide,water, fusel oils, and aldehydes. This "beer" is vented to recovercarbon dioxide and distilled to separate the low boilers, such as EtOH,aldehydes and fusel oil, from the residue, known as slop or stillage.Both the carbon dioxide and slop have valuable uses. The low boilers arecondensed to a 50-60% EtOH solution and passed to a fractionaldistillation column where the aldehydes and other low boilers areseparated as the overhead fraction, most of the EtOH is separated as themiddle fraction, and the tails containing some EtOH are removed as thebottom fraction and recycled. The EtOH-containing middle fraction isfurther refined in a fractionating column which yields 95.6% EtOH as oneof the products.

Any system or method heretofore suggested which is capable of treatingthe millions of gallons per day of EtOH-water mixtures necessary toeffectively deal with anticipated "gasohol" needs or to even producemeaningful quantities of anhydrous EtOH has been hopelessly impracticalor uneconomical in terms of their capital equipment, energy, extensiveprocessing and/or scarce raw materials (e.g., petrochemicals)requirements. This is true not only for separation and recovery of EtOHfrom EtOH-water binary mixtures but also for separation and recovery ofmost valuable organic materials from aqueous or non-aqueous solventswhere the materials can be substantially separated by the method ofdistillation. Exemplary of such other combinations which presentseparation problems of the nature encountered with EtOH-H₂ O mixturesare crude oil and water, crude oil bottoms, shale oil, solvents, e.g.,methyl-ethyl ketone and water, and the like. Therefore, all possiblefeed solutions for separation of one fractionally distillable componentfrom other constituents of the solution, whether the solvent is aqueousor not, are encompassed within the term "impure liquid" as used herein.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an economical yetpractical fractional distillation system for high volume purification toimpure liquid sources.

It is another object of this invention to provide a thermo-mechanicaldistillation system capable of purifying large volumes of impure liquidsand recovering valuable organic or inorganic components without imposingunreasonable equipment or energy requirements.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide athermo-mechanical distillation system capable of reacting the organic orinorganic components separated from the impure liquids to convert suchcomponents to more valuable forms.

It is a more particular object of the invention to provide a fractionaldistillation, vapor compression, heat and work input system capable ofrecovering substantially anhydrous EtOH from relatively diluteEtOH-water systems wherein maximum heat and work input efficiencies arepracticed.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a method andmeans for producing and harvesting a raw material from whichsubstantially anhydrous EtOH can be economically recovered withoutreliance upon petrochemicals.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingdescription and appended claims.

Briefly stated, in accordance with the aforesaid objects one broadaspect of the present invention comprises a method, and a system forpracticing the method, for purifying large volumes of impure liquid byfractionally distilling the liquid in an evaporator, preferably underpartial vacuum, to separate the liquid at least into high boiling andlow boiling fractions, substantially adiabatically compressing theresulting vapor (comprising the low boiling fraction) in a firstcompressor to a pressure substantially in excess of the vaporizationpressure, directing at least a portion of the compressed vapor through avapor composition adjustment zone in which the vapor may be vented,reacted or otherwise altered in composition, compressing the vaporexiting the adjustment zone in a second compressor to form arecompressed vapor and passing the resulting recompressed vapor througha condenser, such as the condenser side of the evaporator, wherein therecompressed vapor will, upon condensing, give up thermal energy tovaporize the feed liquid. The first compressor is preferably driven bylinking it to an auxiliary turbine which may itself be driven by passinga volume of hot gas, e.g., combustion gas, steam, etc., therethrough. Inone embodiment, the auxiliary turbine blading is annularly disposed withrespect to the compressed vapor flow path and is driven by combustiongases produced in the annular space. Alternatively, the first compressormay derive at least a portion of its power from motor means shaft linkeddirectly thereto. The second compressor may be driven in the same manneras the first compressor or in any suitable way. In an optional form ofthe system at least a portion of the compressed vapor may be processedby substantially adiabatically expanding the vapor in an expansionengine and adding sufficient make-up work to the expansion engine suchthat the added work plus the work done by the compressed vapor passingtherethrough at least equals the work done by the compressor on thevapor. The work added to the turbine can be added by directly mixing thecompressed vapor, under substantially isobaric conditions, with a volumeof hot, clean gas, e.g., combustion gas, or by directly driving theturbine e.g. with an externally powered engine, by a combination ofdirect mixing and direct driving, or by other means well known in theart.

According to this method, maximum utilization is made of availablethermal energies with the result that more efficient and economical highvolume separation of fractions can be accomplished than with any othermethod heretofore known. Moreover, the system of the present invention,particularly when used to separate and recover anhydrous EtOH fromEtOH-water solutions, is extremely flexible in terms of its utility.

The invention will be better understood from the following descriptionconsidered together with the accompanying drawings, wherein likenumerals designate like components, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates schematically a single stage embodiment of thedistillation system of the present invention showing an exemplary meansand alternative means (in phantom) for treating the distilled low boilervapor.

FIG. 1A illustrates schematically another single stage embodiment of thepresent invention showing an exemplary means and other alternative (inphantom) means for treating the distilled low boiler vapor.

FIG. 1B illustrates schematically another single stage embodiment of thepresent invention showing a different exemplary means and still anotheralternative (in phantom) means for treating the distilled low boilervapor.

FIG. 1C illustrates schematically various exemplary means forintroducing reactants and/or catalysts into the vapor compositionadjustment zone of the various embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates schematically the single stage embodiment of FIG. 1,with the vapor treatment section deleted, including means for divertinga portion of the effluent vapor for direct mixing with the raw feedliquid.

FIG. 3 illustrates schematically a clutched compressor unit which can beoperated by a turbine motor as an optional turbine-compressor unituseful in the many embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates schematically two turbine motors operating a singleturbine compressor as an optional turbine-compressor unit useful in themany embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates schematically a single turbine motor operating twoturbine compressors as an optional turbine-compressor unit useful in themany embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates schematically two turbines, one of which can bepowered by dirty, hot gases, operating a turbine compressor as anoptional turbine-compressor unit useful in the many embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates schematically concentric compressor-turbinecombinations, one of which combinations can be powered by dirty, hotgases, as an optional turbine-compressor unit useful in the manyembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates schematically a centrifugal compressor operated bytwo turbine motors in tandem as an optional turbine-compressor unituseful in the many embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates schematically a centrifugal compressor and a turbinecompressor operated by a single turbine motor as an optionalturbine-compressor unit useful in the many embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 10 illustrates schematically an optional free wheeling compressorunit with two turbine driven compressors in tandem, which unit is usefulas the turbine-compressor unit in the many embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 11 illustrates in block diagram from a system for producing andcollecting large quantities of honey and for converting the honey toanhydrous ethyl alcohol.

FIG. 12 illustrates schematically exemplary means for sensing honeyproduction and for honeycomb removal from the hives.

FIG. 13 illustrates schematically exemplary means for honey removal andrecovery from the honeycombs.

The invention will be better understood and appreciated from aconsideration of a preferred embodiment thereof which, for purposes of adescriptive clarity, includes only a single effect fractionaldistillation. It is of course appreciated, as is well known in the art,that multi-effect distillation and other evaporative systems have manyefficiencies which recommend them in practical usage. The presentinvention contemplates the use of multi- as well as single-effectevaporative units. In addition, the invention contemplates both vacuumand flash evaporation as well as any other known evaporative techniquesfor producing high volumes of vapor at P₁, T₁, as will more clearlyappear hereinafter. It is, however, preferred to use vacuum evaporationor vacuum distillation.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a vacuum distillation-vapor compression systemis shown generally at 10. The system consists in its essential aspectsof a fractional distillation boiler unit 12 including a condensersection 14 therein (although the condenser need not be housed withinunit 12), a variable compression ratio turbine compressor 16, means foroperating compressor 16 such as via optional turbine motor 20 and shaft18 (shown in phantom), means for supplying additional or makeup work tothe optional turbine motor 20, i.e., work not done on the turbine by thevapors passing therethrough, a vapor composition adjustment zone 17which may contain catalysts and/or reactants and may include inlet andoutlet ports (not shown) for feeding to and/or venting from the zone,all to encourage and support reaction of the vapor and conversion tomore useful compositions, and a second compressor 24 downstream andindependent of the turbine motor 20. The independent compressor 24 maybe operated by a motive power system providing a flow of hightemperature, high pressure gases to means for driving it. Instead, thecompressor could be operated directly by electrical, diesel or gasolinemotor mean, such as motor means 25 (shown in phantom). The means foroperating compressor 16 in the absence of a turbine 20 or for supplyingmake-up work to the turbine may include motor means, such as motor 28,(shown in phantom) which can be powered by electricity, gasoline, dieselfuel, and the like, directly linked through shaft 29 (shown in phantom)to turbine shaft 18 for directly driving the turbine. Alternatively, orin addition, the means for supplying make-up work may include a mixingchamber 22 (shown in phantom) upstream of the turbine motor 20 and means26 (shown in phantom) for supplying hot gases to mixing chamber 22 fordirect combination with the compressed vapors from compressor 16 tomotivate turbine 20. Other well known techniques for supplying energycan also be used, but are generally less desirable. It will beappreciated therefore, that the language "adding make-up work to theturbine" or similar expressions used herein are intended to contemplateany addition of work to the system, whether directly or indirectly tothe turbine, where the effect of that work is to motivate the turbine.

To understand the operation of the system 10, the path of raw feed,e.g., impure water, therethrough can be charted. For purposes of thisdescription the system of FIG. 1 is assumed to include optional turbine20, mixing chamber 22 and a hot gas source 26 as the means for supplyingmake-up work to turbine 20.

The raw feed impure liquid, such as a dilute EtOH-water mixture, entersunit 12 through raw feed line 102 controlled by feed control valve 104.Electric coils 106 are employed to heat the raw feed at start-up. Theraw feed line 102 may communicate directly with a raw feed source or,alternatively, with a preheating heat exchanger such as might beemployed in lieu of condenser section 14 to exchange heat between thehot vapors exiting independent compressor 24 and the raw feed. The feedis directed onto center plate 120 which, notwithstanding that only fiveplates are illustrated, is one of many fractional distillation plates inunit 12. Each plate 116, 118, 120, 122, 124 contains a number of bubblecaps 130, bubble cap pipes 130a and an overflow pipe 132. As feed enterscenter plate 120 it overflows through overflow pipe 132 to plate 118below. On this lower plate, the liquid comes into contact with the vapormoving upward through bubble cap pipes 130a from the liquid reservoir108 in the condenser section 14 of unit 12. The bubble caps 130 are sodesigned that the vapor passing through them must bubble through a layerof liquid on each plate before it can escape. During this bubblingprocess, a portion of the high boiling component in the vapor iscondensed out and a portion of the low boiling component in the liquidis vaporized. Thus the vapor moving on to the next higher plates fromplate 118 through bubble cap pipes 130a is richer in the low boilingconstituent than the vapor which approached plate 118 from below and theliquid overflowing plate 118 to the next lower plate 116 throughoverflow pipes 132 is richer in the high boiling component than theliquid which reached plate 118 from plate 120. The net result of theinteraction between the vapor and the liquid on each plate is that theconcentration of the low boiler increases in the vapor and theconcentration of the high boiler increases in the liquid. By repeatingthis process with a sufficient number of plates, the raw liquid feedmixture can be separated into a substantially pure low boiler vapor at110 and a high boiler liquid reservoir at 108. The low boiler distillateis drawn off through duct 112 controlled by valve 113 and a portion ofthe distillate is refluxed through reflux conduit 114 and reflux valve115 to the upper plates of unit 12 in order to maintain the supply ofsubstantially pure low boiling component on the upper plates. The highboiling component is removed via pump 126, discharge line 127 anddischarge control valve 128. A feed line 129 communicates through valve131 with reservoir 108 to allow pure water or liquid high boilingcomponent to be introduced therethrough. Particularly where the impureliquid feed consists of a binary mixture, such as alcohol and water,equilibrium will be reached faster if, prior to start-up, water or thehigh boiling component covers condenser section 14. Initially, a startermotor, such as motor 28, is energized to rotate shaft 18 through clutchand gear box 30. Compressor 16 and turbine 20, which are linked to shaft18, also rotate when the motor 28 is operated. During start-up thevariable compression ratio compressor 16 is allowed to rotate for a timesufficient for a vacuum to be drawn on the evaporative side of unit 12.The compression ratio and the extent of the vacuum is predeterminedbased upon the desired operating parameters of the system and thetemperature of the influent impure liquid and is controlled andmonitored by variable pressure valve 32 in duct 42 joining the unit 12and first compressor 16. Means 26 for supplying hot gases to mixingchamber 22, when supplied hot gases are the means employed for supplyingmake-up work, are operated to motivate turbine 20 to keep it runningduring start-up and to heat the tubes 34 in condenser section 14.

Feed impure liquid enters system 10 through raw feed line 102 and isfractionally distilled, in the manner hereinbefore described, such thatthe low boiling component is vaporized at its boiling temperature, whichdepends on the vacuum level in the unit 12, by heat transferred from thecondensing vapor in hot condenser tubes 34. Substantially pure highboiling component is removed via pump 126, discharge line 127 anddischarge control valve 128. The low boiling component vapor produced atP₁ and T₁ (the pressure and temperature in unit 12) is drawn throughmoisture separators or entrainers (not shown) into duct 42 joining theunit 12 and the first compressor 16 and is substantially adiabaticallycompressed, at a ratio of from 1.2:1 to 250:1, preferably 5:1 to 100:1and more preferably 5:1 to 50:1, by compressor 16 to P₂ with a resultingheating of the vapor to T₂. The vapor then enters reaction space 17where, depending upon the desired end product, it may be reacted eithercatalytically or otherwise, it may be vented or may otherwise be treatedto alter its composition. Alternatively, zone 17 may serve merely asdrift space to aid in stabilizing the vapor composition. Upon exitingadjustment zone 17, the vapor, mixes with the hot, clean combustiongases emitting from injectors 36 in mixing chamber 22, which may be amixing injector, mixing aspirator, jet mixer or any other configurationknown to be suitable for mixing vapors having different pressures insuch a manner that a partial vacuum is created upstream of the actualmixing point. The partial vacuum is useful in drawing the non-injectedvapor into the mixing chamber and thereby for enhancing the mixing. Thetemperature of the combustion gas is higher than the temperature of theheated vapor at this point although there is a substantially smallerflow rate of combustion gases than of vapor. The direct mixing resultsin a substantially isobaric increase of vapor temperature by at leastabout 2° K. to T₃ while pressure remains substantially the same, i.e.,P₃ equals P₂. The mixed vapor-combustion gas stream substantiallyadiabatically expands through turbine 20 to reduced pressure andtemperature P₄ and T₄ and, in so doing, does work W₂ on the turbine tooperate it. Since the turbine 20 and compressor 16 are directly linkedby shaft 18, the amount of work W₂ done by the vapor and combustion gason the turbine is equal to the amount of work W₁ done on the vapor bythe compressor, i.e., W₁ equals W₂. Inasmuch as the combustion gasserves primarily to heat the vapor and since the combustion gas flowrate is only a small fraction of the vapor flow rate (e.g., about125,000 gal/hr of vapor to less than 1,000 gal/hr of combustion gas),the work W₂ is largely done by the vapor in a steady state condition.The expanded and reduced temperature vapor exhausting from the turbine20 then passes through independent compressor 24 and is substantiallyadiabatically compressed to increase its pressure to P₅ and itstemperature to T₅. These pressure and temperature conditions, P₅ and T₅,represent the initial vapor conditions in the condenser tubes 34 aswell. Therefore, the compression ratio in compressor 24 is selected toprovide a final pressure at least equal to ambient and to create thedesired temperature differential for effective heat transfer in thecondenser tubes 34 from the condensing vapor to the feed solutionentering raw feed line 102. The heat transfer temperature differentialmust be high enough that large volumes of feed water can be accomodatedin this system within the practical limits imposed by reasonablecondenser size. It is for achieving reasonable condenser size and forcontrolling pressure surges that the independent compressor is soimportant in this embodiment, particularly where, as here, thecompression ratio of the independent compressor can be adjusted toaccomodate variations in feed water flow rate and feed watertemperature. Following condensation, purified low boiling component isdrawn off through duct 112 controlled by valve 113 and a portion thereofis refluxed through reflux conduit 114 and reflux valve 115 to the upperplates of fractional distillation unit 12 in order to maintain thesupply of essentially pure low boiling component on the upper plates. Inan alternative operative embodiment, make-up work may be furnished bymotor means, such as motor 28, the independent compressor may bedirectly driven by motor means, such as motor 25, and means 26 and theassociated mixing and gas supply apparatus partially or totallyeliminated.

FIG. 1A illustrates another embodiment of the vacuum distillation-vaporcompression system shown in FIG. 1. The system of FIG. 1A differs fromthe FIG. 1 embodiment in the provision of optional bypass arms 50 tobypass adjustment zone 17 and, if employed, turbine 20 and a mixingchamber 52 downstream of adjustment zone 17 and turbine 20. The FIG. 1Asystem consists in its essential aspects of a fractional distillationboiler unit 12 including a condenser section 14 therein, a variablecompression ratio turbine compressor 16, means for operating compressor16 such as via optional turbine motor 20 and shaft 18 (shown inphantom), a vapor composition adjustment zone 17, optional turbine andadjustment zone bypass arms 50, an optional mixing chamber 52 downstreamof the turbine motor 20 and adjustment zone 17, means for supplyingadditional or make-up work to turbine 20, i.e., work not done on theturbine by the vapors passing therethrough, and an independent secondcompressor 24 downstream of the optional mixing chamber 52. The worksupplying means may be hot clean gas supplying means 26 for supplyinghot gases, e.g. combustion gases, to mixing chamber 22 for directcombination with the compressed vapors from compressor 16 to motivateturbine 20. Alternatively, in lieu of hot clean gases, or in additionthereto, the turbine 20 (or compressor 16 if turbine 20 is not employed)can be directly driven through its shaft 18 by motor means 28, such asan electric or diesel powered motor, acting through shaft 29 and clutchand gear box 30 (shown in phantom). The independent compressor 24 may beoperated by a motive power system providing a flow of high temperature,high pressure gases to means for driving it. Instead, compressor 24could be operated directly by electrical, diesel or gasoline motor meanssuch as motor means 25 (shown in phantom).

To understand the operation of the system of FIG. 1A the path of rawfeed, e.g., impure water, therethrough can be charted. For purposes ofthis description, the system of FIG. 1A is assumed to include optionalturbine 20, mixing chamber 22, hot gas source 26 as the means forsupplying make-up work to turbine 20, bypass arms 50 and mixing chamber52. Initially, a starter motor, such as motor 28 is energized to rotateshafts 28 and 29 through clutch and gear box 30. Compressor 16 andturbine 20, which are linked to shaft 18, also rotate when the motor 28is operated. During start-up, the compressor 16 is allowed to rotate fora time sufficient for a vacuum to be drawn on the evaporative side ofboiler 12. The extent of the vacuum is predetermined, as will be seenhereinafter, based upon the desired operating parameters of the systemand the temperature of the influent impure liquid and is controlled andmonitored by variable pressure valve 32 in duct 42 joining the unit 12and compressor 16. Optional means 26 for supplying hot gases to mixingchamber 22, if present, may be operated to motivate turbine 20 to keepit running during start-up and to heat the tubes 34 in the condensersection.

Referring to FIG. 1A, it can be seen that the vaporized low boilingcomponent of the impure liquid at P₁, T₁ is drawn into duct 42 leadingto turbine compressor 16. The pressure P₁ is maintained in unit 12 atthe desired level by pressure regulating valve 32 disposed in duct 42.The vapor is substantially adiabatically compressed at a ratio of from1.2:1 to 250:1, preferably 5:1 to 100:1 and more preferably 5:1 to 50:1,in compressor 16 to P₂, T₂ and, upon leaving compressor 16, can proceedeither through adjustment zone 17, mixing chamber 22 and turbine motor20 or can be diverted by by-pass control valves 54 into by-pass arms 50.Although two by-pass arms 50 are shown for descriptive convenience,there may, in fact, be only one by-pass arm or there may be multipleby-pass arms. Moreover, the vapor which flows into the by-pass arms maybe at the same, higher or lower pressure than the vapor which proceedsthrough turbine motor 20. Inasmuch as turbine compressors are frequentlymulti-stage units, and since the extent of compression depends on thenumber of stages through which the vapor passes, it is a simple matterto direct the flow into the by-pass arms 50 from a different compressionstage than the flow which proceeds through turbine 20.

In accordance with this embodiment, it is contemplated that as little asa fraction of 1% or as much as 100% of the vapor flow exiting compressor16, e.g., 0.001-100% by volume, preferably 0.15-95%, may be divertedinto by-pass arms 50. Although it is unlikely that in practicaloperation the amount of vapor by-passing zone 17 and turbine 20 will beat either extreme, the system of FIG. 1A is operative at the extremes aswell as at any point therebetween. The selection of the amount of flowto be diverted depends upon the economics sought from the process, thevolume flow rate required and whether reduced operating expenditurestake precedence over capital equipment expenditures, or viceversa.

Assuming that direct mixing with hot gases is the method chosen to addwork to the system upstream of or at turbine 20, the vapor whichproceeds through compressor 16 is passed through adjustment zone 17where it either reacts or is otherwise altered to form a more desirablecomposition vapor or the vapor composition stabilizes by utilizing zone17 as drift space. The resulting vapor is substantially isobaricallyadmixed in mixing chamber 22 with hot, clean gases supplied from source26 through duct 27 and emitted from injectors 36. The mixing chamber 22may be a mixing injector, mixing aspirator, jet mixer or any otherconfiguration known to be suitable for mixing vapors having differentpressures in such a manner that a partial vacuum is created upstream ofthe actual mixing point. The partial vacuum is useful for drawing thenon-injected vapor into the mixing chamber and thereby enhancing themixing. The mixture of vapor and gases operate turbine motor 20 which islinked by shaft 18 to compressor 16. The temperature of the added gas issufficiently greater than the temperature of the vapor to heat thevapor, at substantially constant pressure (i.e., P₃ =P₂), by at leastabout 2° K. to T₃ before the heated vapor does work W₂ on the turbine20. Because of the direct shaft link between turbine 20 and compressor16, the work W₂ done on the turbine equals the work W₁ done by thecompressor on the vapor in substantially adiabatically compressing it.The vapor substantially adiabatically expands through turbine 20 with aresultant pressure and temperature drop to P₄, T₄.

The vapor which is diverted through by-pass arms 50 is at a temperatureand pressure which equals T₂, P₂ in the case where all vapor is equallycompressed in compressor 16. The by-pass vapor is recombined with thevapor passing through zone 17 and turbine 20 in mixing section 52wherein the by-pass vapor is injected through injectors 56 into thestream of vapor exhausting the turbine. Mixing section 52 can have anysuitable configuration for efficient mixing of vapors. The effect ofthis vapor mixing is to compress and heat the vapor exiting turbine 20to P₅, T₅, whereupon the mixed vapor proceeds to independent compressor24. The P₅, T₅ vapor from mixing section 52 is further compressed in asubstantially adiabatic fashion to increase its pressure and temperatureto P₆, T₆ and then passed through return duct 44 to condenser tubes 34in unit 12. As with the FIG. 1 embodiment, the compression ratio inindependent compressor 24 is selected to provide a final pressure atleast equal to ambient and to create a high enough heat transfertemperature differential between the returning vapor at T₆ and the feedwater at T₁ that large volumes of feed water can be accomodated in thissystem within the practical limits imposed by reasonable condenser size.The vapor condenses in tubes 34 giving up its heat of vaporization tothe feed liquid entering the system. Purified low boiling component maybe drawn off and then refluxed through duct 112 and reflux conduit 114.Vaporized low boiling component may be diverted through line 46 ifdesired.

It will be appreciated that bypassing adjustment zone 17 and/or theturbine 20 with at least a portion of the vapor together with the mixingaction created by injectors 36 upstream of the turbine and injectors 56downstream of the turbine have the net effect of creating a vacuum atthe turbine outlet which materially eases the task of maintainingturbine rotation at a level sufficient that compressor 16 is able toperform a quantity of work W₁ in compressing the vapor. Nevertheless, aquantity of work W₂ =W₁ must still be done on turbine 20 by the vaporpassing therethrough. Since the quantity of vapor passing through theturbine is decreased to the extent of the bypass, not as much vapor isavailable to run the turbine and the energy content of the bypass vapormust be compensated for, as, for example, by the addition of thermalenergy via the gases, which may be combustion gases, injected intomixing chamber 22 through injectors 36. The hot gases as well as theadditional thermal energy may be furnished in any form, as long as thegases are clean, from any available source. Suitable sources may includehot combustion gas sources, high temperature, high pressure steamsources, and the like. It will be appreciated, however, as previouslyindicated, that hot gas mixing to raise the thermal energy of the vaporand thereby permit the vapor to do the quantity of work W₂ on theturbine is not the only means of adding make-up work. Instead, the hotgas source 26, duct 27, injectors 36 and mixing chamber 22 can all beeliminated and the quantity of make-up work needed to reach W₂ which isnot supplied by the vapor can be furnished by directly driving theturbine through mechanical means, such as motor 28. Where, however, hotgases are added to the vapor to raise its thermal energy, it ispreferred that direct mixing of gases and vapor occur. Alternative vaporheating configurations, such as by indirect heat exchange through aconventional heat exchanger as taught in U.S. Pat. No.3,423,293--Holden, is wasteful of thermal energy due to transferinefficiencies and the resulting need for higher temperature heattransfer mediums, and is therefore uneconomical. Improved vapor andcombustion gas mixing and more uniform temperature distribution alongmixing chamber 22 can be achieved by use of multiple nozzle injectors(not shown) in chamber 22.

FIG. 1B illustrates still another embodiment of the present inventionwherein the system of FIG. 1A is modified by making independentcompressor 24 optional and by adding an optional third mixing section62, similar to mixing sections 22 and 52, wherein vapor flowing inbypass arms 50 may be injected downstream of optional independentcompressor 24 through optional bypass arms 58 and injectors 60. Such anarrangement provides a large degree of operational flexibility andpermits continuous operation even under adverse conditions. Whethervapor flowing in bypass arms 50 is admixed with vapor expanding throughturbine 20 in mixing chamber 52 through injectors 56 or with higherpressure and temperature vapor downstream of independent compressor 24in mixing chamber 62 through injectors 60 is controlled by bypass flowcontrol valves 55 and 64, respectively. As in the embodiments of FIGS. 1and 1A, the additional energy needed to drive turbine 20 may befurnished from clean gas source 26 as thermal energy, from motor means28 as mechanical energy, or from any other sutiable source. In a similarmanner, optional independent compressor 24 may be directly driventhrough motor means 25 or may be driven in any other suitable way.

The systems illustrated in FIGS. 1, 1A, 1B, and the other embodiments tobe described hereinafter are useful even when the impure liquid feedcontains dissolved salts which can precipitate and form scale on theoutside of the condenser tubes and on the boiler walls at relativelyhigh evaporation temperatures. Because scale deposits interfere withefficient heat transfer between the condensing vapor in the tubes andthe feed liquid in the evaporator, it is undesirable to operate thesystem at an evaporator temperature at which scaling occurs. Therefore,when sea water containing calcium sufate, magnesium hydroxide, calciumcarbonate, and the like, is the liquid feed, since these salts are moresoluble in cold sea water than in sea water above about 160° F., attemperatures above 160° F. scale will rapidly form on the hot tubes andcondenser surfaces and will, in a short time, render the systemoperative only at very low thermal efficiencies. Therefore, if sea wateris the liquid feed, evaporator temperature (T₁) should be kept below160° F. and preferably below 150° F. The system can still treat verylarge volumes of liquid feed in an efficient manner by maintaining avacuum in the boiler at a level such that the boiling of the liquid feedis accomplished within the noscaling temperature limitations.

The lower limit of T₁ is dictated by practical considerations since thesystem is unsuited for treating solid feed. Therefore, for basicallywater feeds, T₁ should not be below the freezing point of water atambient conditions, which at 1 atm. is 0° C. (32° F.) corresponding to aP₁ under substantially saturated conditions of 0.006 atm. T₁ is suitablyat 33° F. or above. For basically water feeds where water is the lowboiling feed component, T₁ is preferably almost as high as the boilingpoint of water at 1 atm., which is 212° F., e.g., at about 211° F. and0.99 atm. For non-aqueous systems or aqueous binary, ternary, etcsystems, where the low boiling component is other than water, it may bedesirable to practice the invention at any temperature less than aboutthe critical temperature, i.e., the temperature above which the vaporcannot be condensed regardless of the pressure applied thereto, althoughit should be appreciated that the temperature may exceed the criticaltemperature for any component of the vapor. Each system must be operatedat evaporator temperatures and pressures, compression ratios, and thelike, to meet the particular fractionation requirements of the impureliquid feed and the flow rate and cost requirements of each user.Therefore, depending upon whether a user desires to reduce operatingcosts at the expense of capital costs, or vice versa, one or moresystems can be operated together to yield the desired flow rate andcost. The examples and data provided hereinafter are useful in making achoice of system parameter starting points necessary to meet a potentialusers needs.

EXAMPLE I

The system of FIG. 1 employing the optional turbine motor 20 andfurnishing make-up work to the turbine via motor means 28 was utilizedto fractionally distill a 6-12% by weight EtOH containing EtOH/H₂ Omixture. It is known that the EtOH/H₂ O azeotrope disappears below about100 mm Hg total pressure. Accordingly, it is an object of the Example tooperate evaporator 12 below 100 mm Hg. For purposes of illustration thefractional distillation system is adjusted to operate at a P₁ of 78.6 mmHg (1.5199 psia). At this pressure pure ethyl alcohol boils at 30°C.(86° F.) and pure water boils at 47.78° C. (116.2° F.). To speed therate at which equilibrium is reached, sufficient pure water is initallyintroduced via line 129 and valve 131 to cover evaporator coils 34.

A 6-12% by weight EtOH and water mixture is introduced through raw feedline 102 and associated valve 104 onto plate 120. Heating coil 106 heatsthe water to 116.2° F. at which temperature and at a pressure of P₁=78.6 mm Hg the water boils. As the pure water vapor rises through thebubble cap pipes it heats the raw feed solution on the plates andcondenses, returning to the bottom of evaporator 12 through overflowpipes 132. The mixture on the plates, depending upon composition,evaporates at some temperature between 86° F. and 116.2° F., with thelow boiling EtOH component rising with the vapor until the tops arereached at 110 where there is substantially pure EtOH at a temperatureof 86° F. and a pressure of 78.6 mm Hg. This EtOH vapor proceeds throughduct 42 and is compressed in first compressor 16, allowed to driftthrough adjustment zone 17, expanded passing through turbine 20 andrecompressed by second independent compressor 24 to a final pressure,P₅, above ambient pressure. For illustrative purposes P₅ is about 1000mm Hg (19.337 psia). At this pressure the EtOH component condenses at aT₅ of about 85° C. (185.8° F.).

To demonstrate that the instant can in fact purify large volumes of thebinary EtOH/water mixture using equipment, specifically a condenser, ofreasonable size and availability, it is assumed herein that compressor16 can maintain the boiler pressure P₁ at 78.6 mm Hg. In this case, therate of flow of EtOH vapor is solely dependent on the rate that the heatof vaporization is transferred to the feed liquid. The heat ofvaporization or of condensation, H_(c), of EtOH is found in theliterature as 352.6 BTU/lb. See, e.g., J. Timmermans, "Physico-ChemicalConstants of Pure Organic Compounds" (1950). The temperature differencebetween the condensing EtOH vapor and the feed liquid at P₅ =1000 mm Hgis ΔT_(LM). ΔT_(LM) is the log mean temperature difference duringcondensation which, together with the initial temperature of the impureliquid, T₁, and the desired final distillate effluent temperature,T_(D), determines the required condenser size.

    ΔT.sub.LM =ΔT.sub.max -ΔT.sub.min /ln(ΔT.sub.max /ΔT.sub.min)

where ΔT_(max) =T₅ -T₁,ΔT_(min) =T_(D) -T₁, and T_(D) is the distillatetemperature selected to be equal to or less than the vapor condensationtemperature and greater than T₁. In this case, T_(D) =125° F. (51.7°C.); ΔT_(max) =185.8-116.2=69.6° F.; ΔT_(min) =125-116.2=8.8° F.; andΔT_(LM) =29.4° F.

The surface area A in square feet of a condenser required to condense Rgallons/hr of condensate at 185.8° F. having a heat of vaporization orcondensation, H_(c), of 352.6 BTU/lb through a temperature differentialof 29.4° F. in a stainless steel condenser having a coefficient of heattransfer U, conservatively taken to be 1500 BTU/hr-°F.-ft² can bedetermined from the following relationship:

    A=RH.sub.c /UΔT.sub.LM

Rewriting in terms of R:

    R=AUΔT.sub.LM /H.sub.c

It is known that a conventional condenser unit, such as is manufacturedby the Pfaudler Company of Rochester, N.Y., which is 5 feet long and 5feet wide has an effective surface area for heat transfer of 2988 ft.².Therefore, the length L of such a unit necessary to provide A ft.² ofsurface area is denoted by the formula:

    A/2988×5=L

    A=2988L/5

Inserting the aforementioned values for U, H_(c),ΔT_(LM), and A,assuming L=10' and converting the result to gallons/hour yields:

    R=117,508 gallons/hr.

EXAMPLE II

The cost to produce the flow R determined in Example I can beapproximated from available data since, in a system without bypass, theBTU cost is only dependent on the initial and final vapor states. Ofcourse such a calculation necessarily neglects inefficiencies due tofrictional, heat and other losses.

    Cost (BTU/lb)=C.sub.p (T.sub.5 -T.sub.1)

It is known that T₁ =30° C.=303° K. It is also known that P₁ =78.6 mm Hgand P₅ =1000 mm Hg. T₅ can be calculated from the ideal gas law appliedto adiabatic compressions and expansions and assuming that the heatcapacities at constant volume and pressure, C_(v) and C_(p), areconstant, it is known that:

    T.sub.5 /T.sub.1 =(P.sub.5 /P.sub.1).sup.b

where b=γ-1/γ and γ=C_(p) /C_(v).

Standard tables show that at 1 atm, γ=1.13 for EtOH gas at least overthe range 0° to 90° C. Therefore, as long as the pressure is maintainedat less than about 2 atmospheres, use of γ=1.13 will not introduce anunacceptable error. Substituting into the foregoing equation for T₅ /T₁and solving for T₅ yields:

    T.sub.5 =553.1° K.=280.1° C.

Interpolating in standard tables showing C_(p) for EtOH over the range0° C.-500° C., it can be determined that use of C_(p) =0.5 BTU/lb-°F. isa conservative approximation for cost calculations. The cost in BTU/lbwith C_(p) =0.5,T₅ =280.1° C. and T₁ =30° C. and converting °C. to °F.becomes:

    Cost=225 BTU/lb

Converting units into gallons and assuming that the cost to produceenergy is about $5.00/1,000,000 BTU, we find:

    Cost=$7.15/1000 gallons.

EXAMPLE III

Using the methods described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,035,243 and in theaforementioned copending applications, and assuming that the raw feed isimpure water and the object is to purify large volumes of the water atminimum energy, capital and operating costs, Table I shows the resultingaproximate cost and flow values for a representative sampling of T₁values and compression ratios (CR). For each analysis, the columndenoted "Configuration" indicates the numeral designations of the majorcomponents comprising the vapor treatment section as illustrated in FIG.1A.

    __________________________________________________________________________                            $/1000                                                (°F.)                                                                     (psia) (psia)                                                                            (°F.)                                                                     (psia)                                                                           (°F.)                                                                      gal  gal/hr                                                                            Configura-                                   T.sub.1                                                                          P.sub.1                                                                           CR P.sub.2                                                                           T.sub.2                                                                          P.sub.f *                                                                        T.sub.f **                                                                        Cost***                                                                            Flow'                                                                             tion                                         __________________________________________________________________________    70 0.3629                                                                            25 9.072                                                                             682                                                                              15 212 14.03                                                                              56,131                                                                            16,17,20,24                                  122                                                                              1.7891                                                                            25 44.73                                                                             780                                                                              15 212 7.32 59,523                                                                            16,17,20,24                                  122                                                                              1.7891                                                                            25 44.73                                                                             780                                                                              44.73                                                                            274 13.12                                                                              56,269                                                                            16,17,24                                     70 0.3629                                                                            85 30.84                                                                             1040                                                                             30.84                                                                            252 18.52                                                                              54,026                                                                            16,17,24                                     150                                                                              3.7184                                                                            25 92.96                                                                             821                                                                              15 212 4.43 59,931                                                                            16,17,20,24                                  200                                                                              11.526                                                                            15 172.89                                                                            784                                                                              15 212 0.88 29,090                                                                            16,17,20,24                                  300                                                                              67.005                                                                            25 1675.0                                                                            1126                                                                             70.86                                                                            303.8                                                                             0.16 9,942                                                                             16,17,20,24                                  85 0.5958                                                                            50 29.79                                                                             910                                                                              25.15                                                                            147**                                                                             1.16 99,689                                                                            16,17,20,50,                                                                  52,24 (bypass chosen                                                          to be 7.5%)                                  __________________________________________________________________________     *P.sub.f = final pressure at which condensation starts (P.sub.5 or P.sub.     depending upon configuration)                                                 **T.sub.f = final temperature at which condensation starts (T.sub.5 or        T.sub.6 depending upon configuration)                                         *** = Cost assumes energy cost at $5.00/1,000,000 BTU                         ' = Flow assumes a condenser length of ten feet                          

FIG. 1C illustrates exemplary means for introducing reactants and/orcatalysts into the path of vapor exiting compressor 16 in vaporcomposition adjustment zone 17. These exemplary means are equallyapplicable to all embodiments of the present invention. Thus, reactantsor catalysts may be pumped, sprayed or otherwise injected into space 17via conduits 300,302 which communicate with space 17 through wall 17aenclosing said space. Although two conduits are illustrated, it will beappreciated that any number of conduits can, in fact, be provideddepending upon the needs of the reaction occurring in space 17.Alternatively, or in addition to reactant and/or catalyst conduits300,302, a hydraulic system 310 may be affixed to enclosing wall 17a orotherwise associated with vapor composition adjustment space 17 in amanner which allows the removable insertion of catalyst means 312through wall 17a into the path of vapor exiting compressor 16. System310 comprises a plurality of hydraulic cylinders 314, each including areciprocating piston 316 having a catalyst means 312 affixed thereto forslidable movement into and out of space 17 through wall 17a. Hydraulicfluid is pumped into or forced from fluid space 318 within cylinder 314through hydraulic fluid inlet line 320 and removal line 322. Whenhydraulic fluid is pumped via inlet line 320 into fluid space 318,piston 316 is forced to slide within cylinder 314 toward wall 17a. In somoving, piston 316 insets the catalyst means 312 into space 17. In likemanner, when piston 310 slides in cylinder 314 away from wall 17a, thecatalyst means 312 is removed from space 17. At the same time, ofcourse, hydraulic fluid is removed from fluid space 318 via removal line322. Catalyst means 312 may include, for example, catalysts such as puremetals, metallic oxides, salts or mixtures of several substances in theform of an activated metal gauze or screen. One particularly usefulcatalyst is platinized asbestos. When system 310 comprises a pluralityof cylinders for removably inserting a plurality of catalyst means 312into space 17, the catalyst means may all be the same catalyst or eachmay comprise a different catalyst or some may be the same and somedifferent depending upon the requirements of the reaction occurring inspace 17. It will, of course, be appreciated that the pistons need notbe hydraulically operated but can be mechanically or otherwise driven,such as by motor means.

One exemplary use for reaction space 17, particularly where the raw feedliquid contains a useful amount of crude oil, is for catalytic crackingto convert straight-run high boiling point distillate fractions tosimpler substances with lower boiling points. Typically, the gasesobtained as byproducts of the cracking process are rich in olefinichydro-carbons such as ethylene, propylene and butylene. Inasmuch ascracking reactions require a finite period of time with the gases athigh temperature and pressure in contact with the catalysts, space 17,located downstream of compressor 16 and adapted to contain a pluralityof catalyst means 312, is ideally suited for this type reaction.

Exemplary of catalytic cracking reactions which may occur in space 17are the following:

C₁₄ H₃₀ →C₁₂ H₂₆ +C₂ H₄

C₁₂ H₂₆ →C₆ H₁₄ +C₅ H₁₂ +C

C₁₂ H₂₆ →C₇ H₁₆ +C₅ H₁₀

C₁₄ H₃₀ →C₁₁ H₂₄ +C₃ H₆

Another exemplary application of space 17 is for catalyticpolymerization, particularly where the catalytic polymerization occursdownstream of the catalytic cracking. This can be accomplished byforming the downstream catalyst means 312 of phosphoric acid impregnateddiatomaceous earth and, thereby, causing the upstream produced olefingases to react and polymerize into longer chain length molecules. Inthis manner, there can be an increased production of gasoline as aresult of sequential cracking and polymerization along the same pathlength. If desired, a portion of the fuel produced could be used toprovide power to the distillation system. A typical high pressure gasphase polymerization reaction using a sulfuric or phosphoric acidcatalyst supported by a solid impregnated with the catalyst is thefollowing:

isobutane+propylene→2,2,3 trimethylbutane

The trimethylbutane produced by this reaction has an octane number of125.

It is comtemplated that a catalytic cracking-polymerization system suchas hereinbefore described can be installed within a ship for the purposeof reclaiming spills of such petrochemical materials as crude oil,gasoline, heating oil, petrochemical solvents, and the like. Thecapability of the present system to produce its own fuel by catalyticcracking and polymerization in space 17 obviates the need for the shipto carry large amounts of fuel to power the reclamation apparatus. As aresult, petrochemical reclamation from spills can be rapidly,efficiently and economically accomplished.

FIG. 2 illustrates a modification which is equally applicable to allembodiments of the present invention, indeed to all vacuum and flashdistillation systems. In accordance with this modification, a fractionof the compressed vapor returning to the condenser tubes 34 through duct44 is diverted and directly injected into the fractional distillationevaporator 12 where it mixes with the impure feed liquid therein, givingup its latent heat of vaporization and raising the temperature of thefeed liquid in the evaporator to T₁. This is particularly useful andimportant where the raw feed entering duct 102 is primarily water and/orthe low boiling component is primarily water and the raw feed isrelatively cold, e.g., water at about 33-70° F. If the temperature inevaporator 12 is maintained at such a low temperature, it is necessaryfor P₁ to also be low for boiling to occur at T₁. However, it is veryexpensive to draw and maintain a high vacuum in the boiler and, ratherthan do so, it may be desirable to raise the raw feed temperature to avalue at which the system may be more economically operated. The expenseof raising the raw feed temperature to T₁ by diverting a fraction of thereturning vapor and direct mixing it with the feed liquid is readilymeasured since whatever flow is diverted does not exit the system ascondensed low boiling component through line 112. On the other hand,direct mixing in the boiler is a far more efficient means of heating theraw feed than, for example, by diverting the returning vapor through anexternal heat exchanger in which it can heat raw feed or by passing allthe returning vapor through condenser tubes 34, as in the otherembodiments of this invention.

In FIG. 2, the details of the vapor treatment section of the system arenot shown since this modification is equally applicable to allembodiments described herein. Hot vapor directed to the condenser tubes34 through return duct 44 is at a temperature, T_(f), and has anenthalpy, h_(f). A portion of this vapor is diverted through duct 200and its associated valve 202 into and through ducts 204, 206 and 208 andtheir respective valves 205, 207 and 209 for injection back intoevaporator 12. Although three injection ducts are shown, it will beappreciated that any number of such ducts may, in practice, be used. Theremaining or undiverted vapor continues through duct 44 into condensertubes 34 and exits the system as purified condensed low boilingcomponent through line 112. The fraction of the vapor which must bediverted to heat the raw feed can be calculated by assuming that thetemperature of the impure raw feed liquid in feed duct 102 is T_(o) andits enthalpy is h_(o). The enthalpy change required, per pound of rawfeed, to heat from T_(o) to T₁ is (h_(l) -h_(o)). In order to producethis change, a fraction, F_(D), of returning vapor, e.g., steam or otherlow boiling component, at h_(f) must be diverted through duct 200 andadmixed with the feed liquid, condensing in the process and having afinal temperature of T₁. For one pound of returning vapor, the enthalpychange is h_(f) -h_(l) and the fractional change is F_(D) (h_(f)-h_(l)). Since the enthalpy change in the condensing vapor must equalthe enthalpy change of the raw feed, it can be determined that:

    F.sub.D =h.sub.l -h.sub.o /h.sub.f -h.sub.o

From this relationship the fraction of compressed vapor diverted formduct 44 into duct 200 can be determined for various raw feedtemperatures and desired boiler temperatures. By similar well knowntechniques the flow rate of low boiling effluent, R_(D), which continueson through the condenser tubes and exits line 112 can be readilycalculated.

An optional aspect of the system shown in FIG. 2 involves the use ofreturn line 210 and associated valve 212 (shown in phantom) to divert asmall portion of the flow exiting compressor 16 back to raw feed duct102 wherein it is injected through injector 214 (shown in phantom). Inthis way, the vapor injected through injector 214 will create a pumpingeffect in duct 102 to aid the feed of liquid therethrough while, at thesame time, heating the incoming feed liquid. Line 210 is optional,although useful, because its contribution to the heating of the raw feedis small compared to the vapors injected directly into evaporator 12through ducts 204, 206 and 208 and because the vacuum drawn bycompressor 16 is generally adequate to draw the raw feed into theboiler.

The invention has thus far been described in its simplest forms and has,in each embodiment, included but a single turbine compressor operated,where utilized, by a single turbine motor. However, the configuration ofthe turbine compressor 16/turbine motor 20 need not be as simplistic asshown in FIG. 1, 1A or 1B. Rather, considerable flexibility can beintroduced into the system if the compressor, the turbine, thecompressor-turbine combination or the compressor-mixing chamber-turbinecombination is configured to meet the requirements and demands of theparticular system. For illustrations of particular arrangements whichare useful and are generally operable in the systems shown in FIGS. 1,1A and 1B, attention is invited to FIGS. 3-10 and the descriptionthereof which follows in which the numerical designations of FIGS. 1, 1Aand 1B have been used for convenience and in which it has been assumedthat make-up work is supplied, at least in part, by direct mixing of hotgases. It will, of course, be appreciated that FIGS. 3-10 are equallyapplicable in conjunction with the other embodiments and/or where nohot-gas make-up work is utilized.

Referring first to FIG. 3, there is illustrated schematically a clutchedcompressor unit designated by the numeral 500, which unit may be used inlieu of turbine compressor 16. The clutched compressor unit 500 may beoperated by a turbine 20 (partially shown) and includes a firstcompressor 502 having a compressor spindle 504 and a second compressor506 having a compressor spindle 508 which is substantially larger thanis spindle 504. Spindles 504 and 508 are linked through shaft 510 andclutch and gear box 512. Clutch and gear box 512 can cause the smallerspindle to rotate at a different velocity than the larger spindle, i.e.,clutch and gear box 512 may be a variable gear box generally similar toan automobile transmission, which permits the compression ratio to bevaried at will. Such a system is valuable as an aid in adjusting systemoperating variable depending upon the density of the vapor and the needto increase or decrease the flow rate through the system.

FIG. 4 illustrates two turbine motors operating a single turbinecompressor through a clutch and gear box. Compressor 530 has its spindle532 linked through shaft 534 to clutch and gear box or transmission gearbox 536. Shafts 538 and 540 link gear box 536 with turbine spindles 542and 544 of turbines 546 and 548. In operation, starting motor 550 actingthrough shaft extension 552 and clutch 554 starts spindle 532 ofcompressor 530 rotating. Power is transmitted through shaft 534 to gearbox 536 and, through shafts 538 and 540, spindles 542 and 544 ofturbines 546 and 548 are also caused to rotate. But, clean combustiongases are mixed with the vapor flowing through space 556 as the gasesare emitted into space 556 through injectors 558. The combined vaporflow and combustion gases transmit rotary power to turbines 546 and 548and through transmission gear box 536 to compressor 530. A particularadvantage of this configuration is that it is more flexible than twoseparate compressor-turbine combinations and, at the same time, moreeconomical.

FIG. 5 illustrates a single turbine motor having a spindle 602 linkedthrough shaft 604 to gear box 606 which gear box is directly linkedthrough shafts 608 and 610 to the spindles 612 and 614 of compressors616 and 618. In operation, starting motor 620 operating through shaftextension 622 and clutch 624 starts spindle 612 of compressor 616turning and, in turn, causes compressor 614 and turbine 600 to alsorotate. Hot, clean combustion gases are mixed with the vapor flowingthrough space 626 as the gases emit from injectors 628. The combinedvapor flow and hot combustion gas flow motivates turbine 600 which,through gear box 606, can operate either or both of the compressors 616and 618. This configuration has advantages similar to those of theconfiguration illustrated in FIG. 4.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate embodiments of the compressor-turbinecombination which permit the use of hot, dirty combustion gases (or, ifthe apparatus is appropriately designed, a fluid such as water) toprovide additional motive power for driving the turbine and, in turn,through the linked shaft, for driving the vapor compressor as well. Inthese embodiments, the hot, dirty combustion gases do not actually mixwith the vapor in the system, and, therefore, the purity of thecondensate produced by the system is not compromised by use of dirtycombustion gases for additional motive power. Referring first to FIG. 6there is shown a configuration which includes the conventionalcompressor-turbine combination and a mixing chamber for mixing hot,clean combustion gases with the vapor flowing through the turbine andthe compressor. In addition, the unit illustrated in FIG. 6 includes ahot, dirty combustion gas driven turbine which increases the shaft poweravailable for driving the compressor. The unit of FIG. 6 includescompressor 16 linked through shaft 18 to optimal turbine 20 andvapor-combustion gas mixing chamber 22 defining the space between theturbine and the compressor. Injectors 36 emit hot, clean combustiongases for mixing the vapor with the result that the combined flow of thevapor and the combustion gases operate turbine 20, which, through shaft18, drives compressor 16. The system also includes a dirty combustiongas operated turbine 640 which consists essentially of a hollow spindle642 and blades 644 attached to the outside surface of the hollowspindle. The spindle 642 is drivingly linked to shaft 646 throughsupports 648. Shaft 646 is operatively linked with the spindle ofturbine 20 which spindle is joined through shaft 18 to the spindle ofcompressor 16. In operation, the system is energized by starting motor650 acting through shaft extension 652 and clutch 654. Dirty combustiongas turbine 640 is disposed with its blades arranged in flow space 656which is annularly arranged with respect to vapor and clean combustiongas flow space 22 and which is separated therefrom by a solid partitionand sealing ring 19. In this manner, hot dirty combustion gases aredirected through space 656 to act on turbine blades 644 which, throughspindle 642 and supports 648, rotate shaft 646. The expanded dirtycombustion gases exhaust from the turbine 640 into space 638 in such amanner that they never combine or mix with the vapor or the cleancombustion gases. Shaft 646 may be operatively linked with the spindleof compressor 16 when turbine 20 is not employed and with the spindle ofcompressor 24 (not shown) whether or not turbine 20 is employed.

FIG. 7 illustrates a completely concentric unit wherein onecompressor-mixing chamber-turbine combination surrounds and is directlylinked to another compressor-mixing chamber-turbine combination. In thisconfiguration, the outer compressor-mixing chamber-turbine combinationsupplies rotatry power to the inner system to improve the performance ofthe inner system. The inner system, which is the compressor-mixingchamber-turbine combination disclosed in FIGS. 1, 1A, and 1B, includescompressor 16 linked through shaft 18 to turbine motor 20 and mixingchamber 22 between the compressor and the turbine in which cleancombustion gases emitting from injectors 36 admix with the vapor flowingthrough chamber 22 to operate turbine 20. Extending from the spindle ofcompressor 16 and from the spindle of turbine 20 are shaft members 700and 702 respectively. Connected to shaft 702 are supports 704 whichrotate compressor 706 through its hollow spindle 708. Connected to shaft700 are supports 710 through which shaft 700 is rotated by the hollowspindle 712 of turbine 714. The blades 707 of compressor 706 and 713 ofturbine 714 are arranged in an annular space surrounding thecompressor-turbine unit 16, 20. The annular space is separated from thevapor clean combustion gas flow space by a solid partition and sealingring 19. Turbine 714 is operated by combustion gases, which may be dirtygases, emitted into space 716 through injectors 718. In space 716 thecombustion gases may be mixed with air drawn therein from space 720upstream of compressor 706 which air is drawn into the system andcompressed by compressor 706. The air admixed with the hot combustiongases exhausts through space 722 and never comes in contact with thevapor and clean combustion gases which move through space 22. As thedirty combustion gases and air drawn in through space 716 pass throughturbine 714, they do work on the turbine blades 713 causing turbine 714to rotate and to transmit power through supports 710 to shaft 700, whichpower is utilized by coaxial compressor 16 in doing work on the vaporswhich are drawn into space 22. If desired, power could be transmitted byshaft 700 to operate independent compressor 24 (not shown). In analternative form of this embodiment, space 716 may operate as acombustion chamber and injectors 718 used to inject fuel into the spacefor combustion with the air drawn in from space 702 to in situ producecombustion gas for operating compressors 16 and/or 24 and/or turbine 20.

Numerous modifications can be made to the configuration illustrated inFIG. 7 to alter it and/or improve it for particular usages. Thus,supports 704 and 710 could be formed into air foil shaped fans to assistin the movement of large masses of vapor. Still another modificationinvolves clutching and gearing the outer compressor-turbine combinationto the inner compressor-turbine combination in order that the rate ofrotation of the latter could be varied with respect to the former.Another useful modification is the addition of furthercompressor-turbine combinations in concentric relationship to the twoshown in FIG. 7, all with the purpose of increasing the motive poweravailable for compression in compressor 16 (and/or compressor 24) and ofutilizing available energy sources, such as dirty combustion gases, inas economical manner as is possible. The fundamental advantage of theconfiguration of FIG. 7 is that it enables utilization of as manydifferent combustion gas sources as may be available at the systemlocation for supplying economical power to compress the vapors flowinginto space 22.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show still other configurations for the compressor-mixingchamber-turbine unit of FIGS. 1, 1A and 1B. Specifically, these FIGS. 8and 9 illustrate the use of centrifugal compressors instead of or inaddition to turbine compressors. Centrifugal compressors have theadvantage that they readily pass condensed liquid via the largewaterways at the tips of the compressors impellers. Referring first toFIG. 8, there is shown an inlet nozzle which leads from the evaporativeunit directly to the impeller of a centrifugal compressor. Nozzle 750,which is optionally a venturi nozzle but may be merely an inlet duct,directs the hot vapor to impeller 752 of a centrifugal compressor whichincludes back plates 754 to prevent the flow of vapor straight throughand to assist impeller 752 in directing and concentrating the flow ofvapor toward the sides 756 of the chamber off the tips of the impeller.The compressed vapor passing centrifugal impeller 752 flows past backplates 754 and into space 758 where it mixes with hot, clean combustiongases issuing from injectors 760 which are shown in FIG. 8 to beoptional multi-nozzle injectors. The flow of combustion gases throughinjectors 760 is controlled by flow valves 762 disposed in the arms 764leading to the injectors. The vapor passing the centrifugal compressoradmixes with the combustion gases and together the vapor and gasesmotivate turbines 766 and 768 disposed in tandem. As spindles 765 and767 of turbines 766 and 768 are caused to rotate, they in turn rotateshafts 770 and 772 linked through clutch and transmission box 774 toshaft 776. Rotation of shaft 776 operates impeller 752 of thecentrifugal compressor. As in the other configurations disclosed herein,the system can be started rotating initially utilizing a starter motorthrough a clutched system shaft-linked to one of the spindles 765, 767of the tandem turbines. Optional butterfly valve 778 is shown disposedin the neck of entrance nozzle 750 to control the flow direction of thevapors entering from the boiler. The butterfly valve 778 is preferablyarranged in such a manner that arms 778a and 778b can be broughttogether to fully open nozzle 750 and, in that position, to offer littleor no resistance to vapor flow therethrough.

FIG. 9 illustrates turbine compressor 16 shaft linked through shaft 18to turbine motor 20 and clean combustion gas injectors 36 disposed inmixing chamber 22 to emit clean combustion gases for combination withthe vapor flowing through compressor 16 to conjointly operate turbine20. Starting motor 786 and clutch 788 are provided for initial start-upof the system. In this embodiment, however, a centrifugal impeller 780is operated by shaft 18 in conjunction with back plates 782. Asdescribed in connection with FIG. 8, the impeller together with the backplates directs and concentrates the flow of vapor toward the ends of theimpeller into spaces designated generally as 784 whereupon the vaporsare additionally compressed prior to admixing in space 22 with the cleancombustion gases emitting from injectors 36.

Yet another useful configuration for the compressor-mixingchamber-turbine unit is illustrated generally at 800 in FIG. 10. Theunit shown consists of two compressor-turbine combinations in tandemcombinations. Specifically, free-wheeling compressor 802 is disposed inthe path of vapor entering the unit and permitted to rotate at its ownrate which is dependent only on the flow rate of vapor therethrough.Starter motor 828 and clutch 830 are shown operating on shaft 804 towhich spindle 801 of the free-wheeling compressor is also connected. Hotclean combustion gases enter the system through feed lines 806 and areemitted into mixing chamber 808 of each tandem unit through injectors810 therein. The hot, clean combustion gases admix with the vaporflowing through chambers 808 and the vapor and gases together operate onturbines 812 and 814. Turbines 812, 814 are linked respectively, throughshafts 816, 818 to compressors 820, 822, which compressors are operatedby rotation of turbines 812 and 814. As compressors 820 and 822 arerotated, vapor is drawn into the unit past free-wheeling compressor 802causing the latter compressor to rotate while supported by supports 824and bearings 826. The configuration of FIG. 10 has the obvious advantageof affording a larger through-put while utilizing less power due to thepresence of the free-wheeling compressor 802. Depending upon the motivepower necessary for compression in the system, either or both ofturbines 812 and 814 can be used.

The various embodiments of the present invention are particularlyapplicable to the fractional distillation of binary mixtures such asEtOH-H₂ O to recover substantially anhydrous EtOH as the low boilingcomponent of the mixture. It is evident from the background discussionpresented earlier herein that present methods for manufacturingsubstantially anhydrous EtOH are grossly impractical in the great numberof steps needed to produxe a "beer" starting material from other than apetrochemical source and in the necessity to employ petrochemical andenergy intensive processes to produce anhydrous EtOH, even from anon-petrochemical "beer" starting material. The prior art beer still,aldehyde column, fusel oil column and rectifying column used to make the95.6 wt % EtOH mixture and the benzene ternary azeotrope distillation orglycerine/ethylene glycol counter current extraction processes mayadvantageously be replaced by the systems illustrated in FIGS. 1, 1Aand/or 1B hereof. Use of the present methods permits the fractionaldistillation of relatively inexpensive, dilute EtOH-water mixturesderivable from plentiful sources under partial vacuum below 100 mm Hg atwhich pressure the EtOH-H₂ O azeotrope disappears. The result, afterEtOH vapors are processed in the vapor treatment portion of the presentsystem, is to produce a distillate of anhydrous EtOH and flammable lowboilers, all of which will burn as fuel. The residue comprises water andall components of fusel oils that boil above water at the partial vacuumpressure chosen. For example, if 1,000 gallons of 10% by weight EtOH"beer" solution is fractionally distilled under vacuum, it will produce100 gallons anhydrous EtOH mixed with about one gallon of aldehydes anda residue of 898 gallons of water mixed with about one gallon of highboiling fusel oils. It is clear that the residue is so diluted that itposes no danger to the environment. Furthermore the high boiling fuseloils are biodegradable, allowing the residue to either be run to wasteor the water separated out by further fractional distillation andre-used. In the latter case, the residue will be high boiling fusel oilswhich can be cracked to produce other chemicals or burned to producediscardable products such as carbon dioxide and water. Production ofanhydrous or gasohol grade EtOH by the process and using the system ofthe present invention results in considerable savings over priorprocesses in terms of capital energy and resource expenditures in thatthere is no need for cooling water for condensation, petrochemicals,steam or electricity and there is a decrease in capital equipment needs.

Particularly pertinent to the economics of the present process is theprovision of an inexpensive source of EtOH for processing, such as aconvertible chemical stream or a "beer" solution. Presently there arethree methods for making ethyl alcohol, as follows:

1. Synthesis with ethylene by hydration;

2. Fermentation of plant products or sugar solutions;

3. Enzymatic conversion of plant products or sugar solutions.

Although the first method is presently the most often used, for allpractical purposes it cannot be relied upon as a source of anhydrousEtOH in the large quantities required to make gasohol. This is becauseethylene is a crude oil derivative and, as such, has becomeprohibitively costly.

The second and third methods are similar and rely upon the conversion ofsucrose to invert sugar and invert sugar to ethyl alcohol. Among themost useful enzymes employed are invertase and zymase. The chemicalrelationship between the starting material sucrose and the EtOH productdictates that 1.4239 pounds of sucrose are needed per pound of ethylalcohol produced or, converting to gallons of alcohol, 9.3204 pounds ofsugar are required per gallon of ethyl alcohol. Thus, it can be seenthat the production of ethyl alcohol by fermentation or enzymaticconversion is material intensive and largely impractical from thatstandpoint. To become practical requires that a source of sugar beidentified that is neither material nor cost intensive.

It is believed that the best raw material source for the production ofanhydrous ethyl alcohol is honey produced by bees. This is because honeycan be more than 70% sugar and thus a rich source of sugar and, in themanner hereinafter explained, honey can be relatively inexpensivelyproduced in large quantities using controlled environments and thenharvested in an automated fashion. The large amounts of honey serve as asource of sugar for producing dilute ethyl alcohol-water "beer"solutions which can serve as the raw feed to the systems of FIGS. 1, 1Aand 1B.

There are many reasons why honey is particularly advantageous as a rawmaterial for ethyl alcohol production. First, it is readily availablesince it can be obtained from a huge variety of flowers and plants andflowers and plants can readily be genetically rearranged to producehoney with the least undesirable by-products for EtOH production. Honeyhas a low insoluble solids content and will, therefore, producedecreased slop or mash residue. Additionally, honey contains only a verysmall percentage of substances that boil below EtOH. Honey readily lendsitself to continuous distillation processing and will react byfermentation mechanisms to produce enzymes which are useful to produceEtOH enzymatically from the honey. Moreover the production of EtOHenzymatically with honey, at pressures and temperatures under which noEtOH-H₂ O azeotrope exists, will result in the highest purity EtOHobtainable in a single pass through vacuum distillation apparatus.

Referring to FIG. 11 there is shown in block diagram format a system andmethod for producing, automatically harvesting and using honey as theraw material in the production of substantially anhydrous ethyl alcohol.A honey production facility 70 containing a plurality of environmentalbuildings 72 is provided for encouraging maximum honey production. Thetemperature, pressure, lighting and other relevant environmentalconditions are controlled within the buildings 72 to provide the mostfavorable conditions, year around, for plant growth and for the generalwell being of the bees and hives within the buildings. It is known thatbees typically produce the most honey during the summer months.Therefore, honey production per hive could be maximized by maintaining asummer-like environment within buildings 72 all year. Environmentalconditions within the buildings 72 are monitored in control center 74located outside of buildings 72 using sensors within the buildings whichsense environmental indicia and send signals to control center 74. Fromcenter 74 command signals may be sent to automatic control means, suchas thermostats, artificial lighting, etc. for adjusting environmentalconditions within predetermined limits. The hives include sensors whichindicate by signal when it is time to empty the hives of their honey.Such sensors might include, for example, hive weight sensors whichdetect the increase in hive weight due to increased honey content andwhich either signal control center 74 or signal and by automaticallysent command initiate honey removal from the honeycomb. Automatic honeyharvesting means 76, such as compressed air jets which blow the honeyfrom the hives into appropriate collection means, can be actuated by asignal sent from control center 74 based upon a sensor indicationreceived at center 74 from buildings 72. For example, the honey could beblown into collection conduits 78 or onto conveyors and pumpted ortransported to a sugar production facility 80 at which the sugarcomponent of the honey is separated and placed in a form suitable forconversion in conversion center 84 to ethyl alcohol and water byfermentation and/or enzymatic conversion. Since honey is often viscousit may be necessary to treat it to improve its flow and/or otherproperties prior to conveying or converting it. Depending on the rawhoney available, it may be necessary to treat it by heating, diluting,adding nutrients, or the like, in order to optimize the fermentation orenzymatic reactions. In a preferred system the honey is sent directly tothe conversion center to serve as the raw material for ethyl alcoholproduction. Either the sugar component from facility 80 or the raw honeyfrom harvesting means 76 and collection conduit 78 is ducted via conduit82 to conversion center 84. The latter may include a plurality ofholding tanks 86 where fermentation under anerobic conditions takesplace by conventional fermentation processes to convert the sugar toethyl alcohol-water mixtures containing about 6-12% by weight EtOH.Holding tanks 86 are periodically emptied into pipeline 88 which carriesthe EtOH-water mixture to the fractional distillation and EtOH vaportreatment unit 90. The 6-12% EtOH/H₂ O mixture serves as the raw feedentering feed line 102 of any of the systems illustrated in FIGS. 1, 1Aor 1B hereof. The low boiling anhydrous EtOH is purified, as previouslydescribed, and exits the systems of FIGS. 1, 1A or 1B through dischargeconduit 112 and valve 113 for collection and eventual use.

Referring to FIG. 12 there is shown schematically an exemplary means 160for supporting a hive 150 within environmental buildings 72, for sensinghive weight increase due to increased honey content and for removal ofhoney bearing honeycomb plates 152 from the hive in preparation forharvesting. More specifically, means 160 includes a hive platform 162supported by piston 164 which is slidable within hydraulic cylinder 166for free vertical movement between predetermined upper and lower limits.Supports 168,170, providing lateral support for platform 162, areslidable within guide cylinders 172,174, respectively. A plurality ofball bearings 176 project radially from the cylinder wall into thecavities 173,175 of guide cylinders 172,174, respectively, to facilitatefree vertical movement of supports 168,170 therein. Piston 164 isvertically slidable within cylinder 166 by introducing hydraulic fluidthrough conduit 178 into cylinder cavity 180, the upper limit of whichis defined by piston seal 182. By increasing hydraulic pressure withincavity 180, piston 164 can be made to slide vertically upwardly withincylinder 166. On the other hand, by decreasing hydraulic pressure withincavity 180, piston 164 can be made to move downwardly within cylinder166. In this manner, hive 150 can be moved up or down relative tohoneycomb plate 152 whose vertical position can be fixed by hook means154 extending through and engaging eyelet 156 of the honeycomb plate152.

In normal operation of honey production facility 70, hive 150 (which isexemplary of the many hives within the facility), including honeycombplates 152, is supported by and in equlibrium with the hydraulicpressure within cavity 180 acting upon piston 164. The vertical positionof hive 150 is adjusted by adjusting hydraulic pressure so that thehoneycomb plates are supported by hive 150 but engage hook means 154 viaeyelet 156. It will be appreciated that the weight of hive 150 and itscontents is directly proportional to the hydraulic pressure withincavity 180 and this pressure can be measured by transducers (not shown)well known in the art, such as piezo-electric pressure transducers,bourden gauges, manometers, and the like. Thus, the weight of the hiveplus its contents can be measured by calibrating the hydraulic pressureagainst a known weight. As the weight of the hive plus its contentsincreases, due to the production of honey, this weight increase can bemonitored by monitoring the increase in hydraulic pressure and, at theappropriate moment, a hive emptying signal can be automatically ormanually sent to initiate the sequence of honeycomb removal from thehives and honey removal and recovery from the honeycombs.

Honeycomb removal from the hives is readily accomplished by decreasinghydraulic pressure within cavity 180 to cause piston 164 to slidedownwardly within cylinder 166. As this occurs, hive platform 162 andhive 150 supported thereon also move downwardly until eyelet 156 fullyengages hook means 154 and support of the weight of the honeycomb plates152 shifts from hive 150 to hook means 254. Hydraulic pressure withincavity 180 continues to be decreased until hive 150 is loweredsufficiently that honeycomb plates 152 are completely removed therefrom.

Referring to FIG. 13 there is schematically shown means for honeyremoval and recovery from the honeycomb plates 152. Trough 184 is filledwith hot water via feed line 186 and the honeycomb plates 152 removedfrom hive 150 are immersed therein for a time sufficient to dissolve thehoney and melt the wax on the honeycomb plates 152. Desirably, plates152 are suspended from hook 154 which is associated with a conventionalhook and conveyor system well known in the art. After the honey isdissolved and the wax melted, the honeycomb plates 152 are removed fromtrough 184, blown dry, and returned to hive 150. The wax and honeysolution in hot water is pumped via line 188 by pump 190 into line 192which empties into tank 194. Tank 194 contains a weir 196 having anopening 198 and a septum 199. The wax floats on the honey solution andoverflows weir 196 onto septum 199 from which it is collected, washedand sold as a byproduct of the honey production process. The heavierhoney solution exits tank 194 via opening 198 and is subsequently pumpedto the fermentation tanks of conversion center 86 for conversion to a6-12% beer solution. The beer serves as the raw feed for the fractionaldistillation and vapor trearment systems of any of the embodimentshereof to obain substantially anhydrous EtOH.

Another optional method for separating honey from the honeycomb plate isto place the plate in a centrifuge, well-known in the art, to removehoney, but not wax, from the honeycomb. The honeycomb plate, freed ofhoney but still containing the wax, may then be returned to the hive.This procedure avoids the need for the bees to produce wax and increasesthe production rate of honey. The honey then can be diluted with water,as stated above, and pumped to the fermentation tanks without any needto separate the wax.

While the present invention has been described with reference toparticular embodiments thereof, it will be understood that numerousmodifications can be made by those skilled in the art without actuallydeparting from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, allmodifications and equivalents may be resorted to which fall within thescope of the invention as claimed.

We claim:
 1. A method for high volume distillation of impure liquidscomprising the steps of:(a) evaporating said impure liquid in afractional distillation evaporator to separate a low boiling componentvapor from said liquid; (b) compressing said vapor to a predeterminedpressure; (c) reacting at least a portion of said compressed vapor atsaid predetermined pressure in the vapor phase in a catalyst-containingreaction zone for producing an adjusted composition vapor; (d)compressing said vapor exiting said reaction zone to form a recompressedvapor at a predetermined pressure corresponding to a predeterminedtemperature differential between said recompressed vapor and said impureliquid; (e) adding sufficient energy to operate said compression steps;(f) cooling said recompressed vapor in heat transfer relation with saidimpure liquid whereby said recompressed vapor at least partiallycondenses, transferring heat to said impure liquid for fractionallydistilling said liquid and separating said low boiling component vapor;and (g) collecting said condensed low boiling component.
 2. A method, asclaimed in claim 1, further including the step of passing at least aportion of said compressed vapor exiting said adjustment zone through ameans for expanding said vapor to produce at least a portion of theenergy for operating said compression steps.
 3. A method, as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said portion of said compressed vapor passed throughsaid zone comprises from 0.001 to 100% by volume of said compressedvapor flow; and, said vapor from said zone is compressed by bypassingsaid zone with the remainder of said compressed vapor and admixing saidremainder at a pressure at least equal to said predetermined pressuredirectly with said vapor from said zone to compress said vapor from saidzone and to expand said compressed vapor to form a second vapor at leastat ambient pressure and at a temperature corresponding thereto, saidtemperature and pressure of said second vapor being greater than that ofthe vapor exiting said zone and less than that of the remainder of saidcompressed vapor prior to admixing, said second vapor passing to saidstep for forming said recompressed vapor.
 4. A method, as claimed inclaim 2, wherein said portion of said compressed vapor passed throughsaid zone and said expansion means comprises from 0.001 to 100% byvolume of said compressed vapor flow; and, said expanded vapor from saidzone and expansion engine is compressed by bypassing said zone andexpansion engine with the remainder of said compressed vapor andadmixing said remainder at a pressure at least equal to saidpredetermined pressure directly with said expanded vapor to compresssaid expanded vapor and to expand said compressed vapor to form a secondvapor at least at ambient pressure and at a temperature correspondingthereto, said temperature and pressure of said second vapor beinggreater than that of the expanded vapor exiting said zone and expansionengine and less than that of the remainder of said compressed vaporprior to admixing, said second vapor passing to said step for formingsaid recompressed vapor.
 5. A method, as claimed in claim 4, wherein aportion of said compressed vapor bypassing said expansion engine isadmixed with said recompressed vapor to form a third vapor at ambientpressure and a temperature corresponding thereto, and said third vaporis passed in heat transfer relationship with said impure liquid.
 6. Amethod, as claimed in claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein said vaporundergoes a chemical reaction in said zone.
 7. A method, as claimed inclaims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein the ratio of vapor pressure of said vaporfollowing said first compression step to the vapor pressure of said lowboiling component is in the range 1.2:1 to 250:1.
 8. A method, asclaimed in claim 7, wherein the ratio is in the range 5:1 to 100:1.
 9. Amethod, as claimed in claims 2, 4 or 5, wherein shaft energy produced bysaid vapor in said expansion engine comprises at least a portion of theenergy to operate said compression steps.
 10. A method, as claimed inclaims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein said condensation of vapor occurs insaid evaporator and said released heat is transferred to said impureliquid in said evaporator to evaporate said liquid.
 11. A method, asclaimed in claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein said condensation of vaporoccurs in a heat exchanger and said released heat is transferred to saidimpure liquid before said liquid enters said evaporator.
 12. A method,as claimed in claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein said compressions andexpansions are substantially adiabatic.
 13. A method, as claimed inclaims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein at least a portion of said energy tooperate said compression steps is added by driving compression meanswith an external mechanical energy source.
 14. A method, as claimed inclaims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, including the step of diverting a fraction ofsaid vapor to be cooled in heat transfer relation with said impureliquid and mixing said diverted vapor fraction directly with said impureliquid, whereby said vapor condenses and said impure liquid is heated.15. A method, as claimed in claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, including the stepof diverting a fraction of said compressed vapor and admixing saiddiverted fraction directly with said impure liquid, whereby said vaporcondenses and said impure liquid is heated.
 16. A method, as claimed inclaim 15, wherein said diverted fraction is injected into said impureliquid upstream of said evaporator.
 17. A method, as claimed in claims1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein said low boiling component is evaporated at atemperature below its boiling point at ambient pressure.
 18. A method,as claimed in claims 2, 4 or 5, wherein at least a portion of saidenergy to operate said compression steps is added to said expansionengine by admixing said portion of said compressed vapor directly withhot gases having a temperature sufficiently greater than the temperatureof said compressed vapor to increase the temperature of said compressedvapor and passing said heated vapor through said expansion engine tomotivate said engine.
 19. A method, as claimed in claim 18, wherein saidcompressed vapor is admixed with hot clean combustion gases.
 20. Amethod, as claimed in claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein at least a portionof said energy to operate said compression steps is added by passing ahot gas through a space separate from the space in which said vaporflows, said hot gas comprising a gas other than the vapor produced instep (a) and passing through a means for expanding said gas.
 21. Amethod, as claimed in claim 20, including the steps of drawing airthrough said hot gas flow space for mixing with said hot gas flowtherein, passing said air through means for compressing said air priorto mixing with said hot gas flow, and drivingly linking said hot gasexpanding means in said hot gas flow space with said air compressingmeans in said hot gas flow space, whereby at least a part of the energyproduced by expanding said hot gas flow is used to operate said aircompressing means.
 22. A method, as claimed in claim 21, furtherincluding the steps of admitting fuel into said hot gas flow spaceupstream of said hot gas expanding means and igniting said fuel, wherebysaid hot gas flow is produced in said space.
 23. A method, as claimed inclaim 20, wherein said hot gas flow space is annularly disposed withrespect to the space in which said vapor flows.
 24. A method, as claimedin claim 21, wherein said hot gas flow space is annularly disposed withrespect to the space in which said vapor flows.
 25. A method for highvolume distillation of impure liquid comprising the steps of:(a)evaporating said impure liquid in a fractional distilation evaporator toseparate a low boiling component vapor; (b) compressing said vapor to apredetermined pressure; (c) reacting at least a portion of saidcompressed vapor at said predetermined pressure in the vapor phase in acatalyst-containing reaction zone for producing an adjusted compositionvapor; (d) passing said vapor exiting said reaction zone through anexpansion engine, said vapor doing work on said engine to motivate saidengine and to produce shaft energy, whereby said vapor expands andcools, said portion comprising from 0.001 to 99.999% by volume of saidcompressed gas flow; (e) adding make-up work to said expansion engine tosupplement the work done on said engine by said vapor expandingtherethrough, said added work being sufficient to at least make-up thedifference between the work done in compressing said vapor and the workdone on said engine by said vapor in expanding therethrough; (f)admixing the remainder of said compressed vapor at a pressure at leastequal to said predetermined pressure directly with said expanded vaporto expand said compressed vapor and compress said expanded vapor to forma second vapor at ambient pressure and at a temperature correspondingthereto, said temperature and pressure of said second vapor beinggreater than that of the expanded vapor exiting said expansion engineand less than that of the remainder of the compressed vapor prior toadmixing; (g) cooling said second vapor in heat transfer relation withsaid impure liquid whereby said second vapor at least partiallycondenses, transferring heat to said impure liquid for fractionallydistilling said liquid and separating said low boiling component vapor;and (h) collecting said condensed low boiling component.
 26. A method,as claimed in claim 25, wherein said vapor undergoes a chemical reactionin said zone.
 27. A method, as claimed in claim 25, wherein the ratio ofvapor pressure of said vapor following said first compression step tothe vapor pressure of said low boiling component is in the range 1.2:1to 250:1.
 28. A method, as claimed in claim 27, wherein the ratio is inthe range 5:1 to 100:1.
 29. A method, as claimed in claim 25, whereinshaft energy produced by said vapor in said expansion engine comprisesat least a portion of the energy to operate said compression step.
 30. Amethod, as claimed in claim 25, wherein said condensation of vaporoccurs in said evaporator and said released heat is transferred to saidimpure liquid in said evaporator to evaporate said liquid.
 31. A method,as claimed in claim 25, wherein said condensation of vapor occurs in aheat exchanger and said released heat is transferred to said impureliquid before said liquid enters said evaporator.
 32. A method, asclaimed in claim 25, wherein said compressions and expansions aresubstantially adiabatic.
 33. A method, as claimed in claim 25, whereinat least a portion of said energy to operate said compression step isadded by driving compression means with an external mechanical energysource.
 34. A method, as claimed in claim 25, including the step ofdiverting a fraction of said vapor to be cooled in heat transferrelation with said impure liquid and mixing said diverted vapor fractiondirectly with said impure liquid, whereby said vapor condenses and saidimpure liquid is heated.
 35. A method, as claimed in claim 25, includingthe step of diverting a fraction of said compressed vapor and admixingsaid diverted fraction directly with said impure liquid, whereby saidvapor condenses and said impure liquid is heated.
 36. A method, asclaimed in claim 35, wherein said diverted fraction is injected intosaid impure liquid upstream of said evaporator.
 37. A method, as claimedin claim 25, wherein said low boiling component is evaporated at atemperature below its boiling point at ambient pressure.
 38. A method,as claimed in claim 25, wherein at least a portion of said energy tooperate said compression step is added to said expansion engine byadmixing said portion of said compressed vapor directly with hot gaseshaving a temperature sufficiently greater than the temperature of saidcompressed vapor to increase the temperature of said compressed vaporand passing said heated vapor through said expansion engine to motivatesaid engine.
 39. A method, as claimed in claim 38, wherein saidcompressed vapor is admixed with hot clean combustion gases.
 40. Amethod, as claimed in claim 25, wherein at least a portion of saidenergy to operate said compression step is added by passing a hot gasthrough a space separate from the space in which said vapor flows, saidhot gas comprising a gas other than the vapor produced in step (a) andpassing through a means for expanding said gas.
 41. A method, as claimedin claim 40, including the steps of drawing air through said hot gasflow space for mixing with said hot gas flow therein, passing said airthrough means for compressing said air prior to mixing with said hot gasflow, and drivingly linking said hot gas expanding means in said hot gasflow space with said air compressing means in said hot gas flow space,whereby at least a part of the energy produced by expanding said hot gasflow is used to operate said air compressing means.
 42. A method, asclaimed in claim 41, further including the steps of admitting fuel intosaid hot gas flow space upstream of said hot gas expanding means andigniting said fuel, whereby said hot gas flow is produced in said space.43. A method, as claimed in claim 40, wherein said hot gas flow space isannularly disposed with respect to the space in which said vapor flows.44. A method, as claimed in claim 41, wherein said hot gas flow space isannularly disposed with respect to the space in which said vapor flows.45. A system for high volume distillation of impure liquidscomprising:(a) fractional distillation evaporator means, including meansfor supplying impure liquid feed thereto, for separating a low boilingcomponent vapor from said liquid; (b) first compressor means receivingsaid vapor from said evaporator means for increasing said vapor pressureand temperature to predetermined pressure and temperature levels; (c) avapor composition adjustment zone including removably insertablecatalyst means therein for receiving at least a portion of saidcompressed vapor from said first compressor means, said zone includingvapor flow space wherein said vapor composition is catalytically alteredor stabilized; (d) second compressor means receiving the vaporexhausting said adjustment zone for increasing the vapor pressure andtemperature thereof; (e) means for driving said first and secondcompressor means; (f) condenser means in heat transfer relationship withsaid impure liquid feed for receiving said vapor from said compressormeans and for at least partially condensing said vapor whereby the heatreleased by said vapor is transferred to said feed liquid to supply heatenergy for fractionally distilling said liquid and separating said lowboiling component vapor; (g) means for recovering condensed low boilingcomponent from said condenser means; and (h) means for removing theremainder of said liquid feed from said evaporator means.
 46. A system,as claimed in claim 45, further including expansion engine meansmotivated at least in part by compressed vapor from said adjustment zoneand means for supplying make-up work to said expansion engine means,said engine being drivingly connected to said first compressor meanswhereby the work done by said vapor in expanding in said expansionengine means is transmitted to said first compressor means, said make-upsupplementing the work done on said engine by said vapor expandingtherethrough, said vapor exiting said engine means being directed tosaid second compressor means.
 47. A system, as claimed in claim 45,further including a first mixing chamber for receiving said vaporexhausting from said adjustment zone and by-pass duct means fordiverting the remainder of said compressed vapor from said firstcompressor means around said adjustment zone to said first mixingchamber, said remainder of said compressed vapor at a pressure at leastsubstantially equal to said predetermined pressure admixing with andtransferrting heat directly to said vapor exiting said adjustment zoneto form a second vapor, whereby said compressed vapor is expanded andsaid vapor exiting said adjustment zone is compressed.
 48. A system, asclaimed in claim 46, further including a first mixing chamber forreceiving said expanded vapor exhausting from said adjustment zone andexpansion engine means and by-pass duct means for diverting theremainder of said compressed vapor from said first compressor meansaround said adjustment zone and expansion engine means to said firstmixing chamber, said remainder of said compressed vapor at a pressure atleast substantially equal to said predetermined pressure admixing withand transferring heat directly to said vapor exiting said adjustmentzone and expansion engine means to form a second vapor, whereby saidcompressed vapor is expanded and said expanded vapor is compressed. 49.A system, as claimed in claim 48, further including a second mixingchamber downstream of said second compressor means for receivingcompressed second vapor therefrom; second by-pass duct means fordiverting a portion of said compressed vapor in said by-pass duct meansaround said first mixing chamber and said second compressor means tosaid second mixing chamber, said portion admixing with said compressedsecond vapor to form a third vapor; and, means for controlling thequantity of compressed vapor entering said first mixing chamber and saidsecond mixing chamber.
 50. A system, as claimed in claims 45, 46, 47, 48or 49, wherein said means for driving said first and second compressorscomprises at least in part a mechanical energy source and meansdrivingly linking said mechanical energy source to at least one of saidcompressors.
 51. A system, as claimed in claims 45, 46, 47, 48 or 49,further including duct means upstream of said condenser means andcommunicating with said evaporator means for diverting a fraction ofsaid vapor to be cooled in heat transfer relation with said impureliquid directly to said evaporator means for admixture with said impureliquid feed therein.
 52. A system, as claimed in claims 45, 46, 47, 48or 49, further including duct means downstream of said first compressormeans for diverting a fraction of said compressed vapor directly to saidmeans for supplying impure liquid feed to said evaporator means.
 53. Asystem, as claimed in claim 52, wherein said means for supplying impureliquid feed includes a feed duct and said duct means downstream of saidfirst compressor means includes a vapor injector means communicatingwith said feed duct to inject compressed vapor therein.
 54. A system, asclaimed in claims 47, 48, or 49, including means for controlling theportion of said compressed vapor flow diverted into said by-pass ductmeans.
 55. A system, as claimed in claim 54, wherein said by-pass ductmeans include by-pass arms and vapor injector means at the end of saidarms remote from said first compressor means, said vapor injector meansinjecting said by-pass vapor into said first mixing chamber.
 56. Asystem, as claimed in claims 46, 48 or 49, wherein said means forsupplying make-up work comprises a third mixing chamber for receivingsaid portion of said vapor from said first compressor means and meansfor supplying hot gases under pressure to said third mixing chamber,said hot gases admixing with and transferring heat directly to saidvapor portion from said first compressor means in said third mixingchamber, and resulting heated vapor expanding through, doing work uponand motivating said expansion engine means.
 57. A system, as claimed inclaim 56, wherein said means for supplying hot gases comprises gassupply means and gas injector means, said gas injector means receivinggas from said gas supply means and injecting said gas into said thirdmixing chamber.
 58. A system, as claimed in claim 56, wherein saidexpansion engine means is coaxial with said first compressor means andsaid third mixing chamber is disposed therebetween.
 59. A system, asclaimed in claims 45, 46, 47, 48 or 49, wherein said condenser means isdisposed within said evaporator means in heat transfer relationship withsaid liquid feed in said evaporator means.
 60. A system, as claimed inclaims 45, 46, 47, 48 or 49, wherein said condenser means comprises heatexchange means disposed outside of said evaporator means.
 61. A systemas claimed in claims 45, 46, 47, 48 or 49, wherein said means fordriving said first and second compressor means includes at least in partauxiliary turbine means drivingly connected to at least one of saidcompressor means, said auxiliary turbine means including a conduit forgas flow therethrough and turbine blading in said conduit, said turbineblading drivingly linked to at least one of said compressor means,whereby gas flow through said conduit does work on said turbine bladingwhich work is transmitted to said compressor means.
 62. A system, asclaimed in claim 61, wherein said conduit is annularly disposed withrespect to and separated from the space in which said vapor flows, saidat least one compressor means is drivingly connected to said auxiliaryturbine means through a shaft, and said auxiliary turbine means includesa spindle supporting said blading and drivingly connected to said shaft.63. A system, as claimed in claim 62, wherein said auxiliary turbinespindle is hollow and said vapor flows therethrough.
 64. A system, asclaimed in claim 61, further including auxiliary compressor means insaid conduit upstream of and drivingly connected to said auxiliaryturbine means, said auxiliary compressor means drawing air through saidconduit, whereby said air flow together with said gas flow in saidconduit motivates said auxiliary turbine means.
 65. A system, as claimedin claim 62, including auxiliary compressor means disposed in saidannular conduit, said auxiliary compressor means drivingly connected tosaid auxiliary turbine means through said shaft and including a spindlesupporting compressor blading in said conduit.
 66. A system, as claimedin claim 65, wherein said compressor spindle is hollow and said vaporflows through said spindle.
 67. A system, as claimed in claims 45, 46,47, 48 or 49, wherein said first compressor means has a compressionratio in the range 1.2:1 to 250:1.
 68. A system for high volumedistillation of impure liquids comprising:(a) fractional distillationevaporator means, including means for supplying impure liquid feedthereto, for separating a low boiling component vapor from said liquid;(b) first compressor means receiving said vapor from said evaporatormeans for increasing said vapor pressure and temperature; (c) a vaporcomposition adjustment zone including removably insertable catalystmeans for receiving at least a portion of said vapor from said firstcompressor means, said zone including vapor flow space wherein saidvapor composition is catalytically altered or stabilized; (d) expansionengine means motivated at least in part by compressed vapor from saidadjustment zone and means for supplying make-up work to said expansionengine means, said engine being drivingly connected to said firstcompressor means whereby the work done by said vapor in expanding insaid expansion engine means is transmitted to said first compressormeans, said make-up work supplementing the work done on said engine bysaid vapor expanding therethrough; (e) a first mixing chamber forreceiving said expanded vapor exhausting from said expansion enginemeans and by-pass duct means for diverting the remainder of saidcompressed vapor from said first compressor means around said adjustmentzone and said expansion engine means to said first mixing chamber, saidremainder of said compressed vapor at a pressure at least substantiallyequal to said predetermined pressure admixing with and transferring heatdirectly to said vapor exiting said expansion engine means to form asecond vapor, whereby said compressed vapor is expanded and saidexpanded vapor is compressed; (f) condenser means in heat transferrelationship with said impure liquid feed for receiving said secondvapor from said first mixing chamber and for at least partiallycondensing said vapor whereby the heat released by said vapor istransferred to said feed liquid to supply heat energy for fractionallydistilling said liquid and separating said low boiling component vapor;(g) means for recovering condensed low boiling component from saidcondenser means; and (h) means for removing the remainder of said liquidfeed from said evaporator means.
 69. A system, as claimed in claim 68,wherein said means for driving said first compressor comprises at leasta part a mechanical energy source and means drivingly linking saidmechanical energy source to said compressor.
 70. A system, as claimed inclaim 68, further including duct means upstream of said condenser meansand communicating with said evaporator means for diverting a fraction ofsaid vapor exiting said first mixing chamber directly to said evaporatormeans for admixture with said impure liquid feed therein.
 71. A system,as claimed in claim 68, further including duct means downstream of saidfirst compressor means for diverting a fraction of said compressed vapordirectly to said means for supplying impure liquid feed to saidevaporator means.
 72. A system, as claimed in claim 71, wherein saidmeans for supplying impure liquid feed includes a feed duct and saidduct means downstream of said first compressor means includes a vaporinjector means communicating with said feed duct to inject compressedvapor therein.
 73. A system, as claimed in claim 68, including means forcontrolling the portion of said compressed vapor flow diverted into saidby-pass duct means.
 74. A system, as claimed in claim 73, wherein saidby-pass duct means include by-pass arms and vapor injector means at theend of said arms remote from said first compressor means, said vaporinjector means injecting said by-pass vapor into said first mixingchamber.
 75. A system, as claimed in claim 68, wherein said means forsupplying make-up work comprises a second mixing chamber for receivingsaid portion of said vapor from said first compressor means and meansfor supplying hot gases under pressure to said second mixing chamber,said hot gases admixing with and transferring heat directly to saidvapor portion from said first compressor means in said second mixingchamber, and resulting heated vapor expanding through, doing work uponand motivating said expansion engine means.
 76. A system, as claimed inclaim 75, wherein said means for supplying hot gases comprises gassupply means and gas injector means, said gas injector means receivinggas from said gas supply means and injecting said gas into said secondmixing chamber.
 77. A system, as claimed in claim 75, wherein saidexpansion engine means is coaxial with said first compressor means andsaid second mixing chamber is disposed therebetween.
 78. A system, asclaimed in claim 68, wherein said condenser means is disposed withinsaid evaporator means in heat transfer relationship with said liquidfeed in said evaporator means.
 79. A system, as claimed in claim 68,wherein said condenser means comprises heat exchange means disposedoutside of said evaporator means.
 80. A system, as claimed in claim 68,wherein said means for driving said first compressor means includes atleast in part auxiliary turbine means drivingly connected to saidcompressor means, said auxiliary means including a conduit for gas flowtherethrough and turbine blading in said conduit, said turbine bladingdrivingly linked to said compressor means, whereby gas flow through saidconduit does work on said turbine blading which work is transmitted tosaid compressor means.
 81. A system, as claimed in claim 68, whereinsaid conduit is annularly disposed with respect to and separated fromthe space in which said vapor flows, said compressor means is drivinglyconnected to said auxiliary turbine means through a shaft, and saidauxiliary turbine means includes a spindle supporting said blading anddrivingly connected to said shaft.
 82. A system, as claimed in claim 81,wherein said auxiliary turbine spindle is hollow and said vapor flowstherethrough.
 83. A system, as claimed in claim 80, further includingauxiliary compressor means in said conduit upstream of and drivinglyconnected to said auxiliary turbine means, said auxiliary compressormeans drawing air through said conduit whereby said air flow togetherwith said gas flow in said conduit motivates said auxiliary turbinemeans.
 84. A system, as claimed in claim 81, including auxiliarycompressor means disposed in said annular conduit, said auxiliarycompressor means drivingly connected to said auxiliary turbine meansthrough said shaft and including a spindle supporting compressor bladingin said conduit.
 85. A system, as claimed in claim 84, wherein saidcompressor spindle is hollow and said vapor flows through said spindle.86. A system, as claimed in claim 68, wherein said first compressormeans has a compression ratio in the range 1.2:1 to 250:1.